Environment and Conservation
April 10, 2015
Discover our Provincial Parks and Natural Areas
Calling All Campers! Government Announces New Campsite Reservation Service and Park Opening Dates
With camping season just around the corner, the Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation, today announced a new provincial campsite reservation service, designed to better meet the needs of outdoor enthusiasts province-wide.
�From our family-friendly campgrounds to our magnificent ecological reserves, Newfoundland and Labrador�s provincial parks and natural areas offer something for everyone. I encourage residents and tourists alike to discover all this province has to offer this season.�
- The Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation
The new service is provided through Camis, a campsite management provider based in Guelph, Ontario. Camis was selected as the result of an open Request For Proposals issued by the OCIO in August 2014. Further information on Camis can be found at www.camis.com. 
While the new service will be open for reservations beginning April 21 to 23, clients are encouraged to visit the site, www.nlcamping.ca , starting April 15 to create a user profile (required to make reservations) and to explore the new features. A handy fact sheet will also be available on the reservation service homepage. One of the biggest changes users will see is that while they will be required to pay 100 per cent of their campsite fees at the time of reservation, these fees are fully refundable with the appropriate notifications.
�I�m delighted to announce a new and improved campsite reservation service. In response to client feedback, payment of campsite fees will be required at the time of reservation, thereby lowering the incidence of no-shows and opening up high demand campsites for other campers. I�m confident that users will be very pleased with the new system, which was designed to improve customer service and increase opportunities for campers.�
- Minister Crummell
Other notable differences clients will see starting this year include:
- The fees for vehicle entry will remain the same; however, campsite fees have increased by 20 per cent;
- Campers will have the option of paying for a vehicle entry fee at the time of reservation, thereby allowing for a speedier check-in upon arrival at the park;
- Implementation of a new refund policy which includes full campsite fee refunds with the appropriate notifications;
- The new service will require clients to create a user profile in order to make reservations;
- Users will be able to search based on campsite availability instead of campsite category;
- A more streamlined campsite numbering system has been implemented to replace the use of letters;
- Campsites at La Manche Provincial Park have been renumbered to be consistent with other provincial parks; and
- The senior�s discount of 35 per cent will still apply to both vehicle entry and campsite fees.
Further details about the new service, including fees and various cancellation and refund scenarios, can be found in the backgrounder below.
The Provincial Parks Campsite Reservation Service will launch at 7:00 a.m. NDT on the scheduled dates for each park as outlined in the backgrounder below. The backgrounder also notes the opening and closing dates of provincial parks, reserves and natural scenic areas.
The province's network of provincial parks and natural areas includes 13 camping parks, seven day use parks, the T'Railway Provincial Park, Main River Waterway Provincial Park and 10 park reserves, for a total of 32 provincial parks. In addition to provincial parks, there are two wilderness reserves and 18 ecological reserves that protect significant seabird colonies, rare plants and significant fossil sites.
QUICK FACTS
- The Provincial Government today announced a new Provincial Park Campsite Reservation Service. The service will be available by calling toll-free 1-877-214-CAMP (2267) or online at www.nlcamping.ca beginning April 21.
- While the site will be open for reservations starting April 21, clients are encouraged to visit the site beginning April 15 to create a user profile (required to make reservations) and familiarize themselves with the features of the new service.
- In 2014, more than 2,400 clients did not cancel their reservations and did not show up at the scheduled time of arrival, therefore leaving sites unused and unavailable to other campers.
- In response to client feedback regarding the high no-show rate in provincial parks, clients are now required to pay 100 per cent of the campsite fees at the time of reservation. Paid campsite fees are fully refundable with the appropriate notifications.
- Seven provincial park campgrounds are scheduled to open for the Victoria Day weekend, while the six remaining campgrounds are scheduled to open in late May.
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Media contact:
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Jennifer Collingwood Director of Communications Department of Environment and Conservation 709-729-2575, 689-8605 jennifercollingwood@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
New Provincial Park Campsite Reservation Service and Schedule of Park Openings
A new provincial campsite reservation service will be in place for the 2015 camping season. While the service opens for reservations on April 21, clients are encouraged to visit the site starting April 15 to create a user profile and explore the new features. A user profile is required to make campsite reservations.
The primary purpose of the new system is to improve customer service and decrease the incidence of no-shows, which eliminate camping opportunities for others. To address this, the new system will require clients to pay 100 per cent of their campsite fees upfront, at the time of reservation. Paid campsite fees are fully refundable with the appropriate notifications (reservation fees are not refundable).
Fees:
Campsite fees have increased by 20 per cent. Even with this increase, Newfoundland and Labrador provincial parks campsite fees remain consistent with the other provincial agencies in the Maritime provinces.
The fee for vehicle entry and the fee to make a reservation will remain the same as 2014. The fee to make a reservation change has decreased by almost five per cent.
Senior�s discount of 35 per cent will apply to both vehicle entry and campsite fees.
There is no fee to cancel a reservation. Clients are advised to refer to the Terms and Conditions available on the Campsite Reservation Service website for complete details.
Clients now have the option to pay vehicle entry fees at the time of reservation. This will allow for a speedier check-in at the park upon arrival.
Campsite Reservation Service Fees:
- Create reservation : $10.50
- Change reservation: $8.00
Park Fees:
- Vehicle Entry : daily $5, seasonal $20
- Fully-serviced sites : nightly $27.60, weekly $170.40, monthly $678 and seasonal ranging from $2,235.60 - $2,566.80 (depending on park)
- Partially-serviced sites: nightly $18, weekly $110.40, monthly $444 and seasonal ranging from $ 1,362 - $1,674 (depending on park):
Numbering System:
A more streamlined campsite numbering system has been implemented. Campsites are no longer designated as A or B.
At La Manche Provincial Park, campsites 4-82 have been renumbered. Please refer to the updated map on the Campsite Reservation Service.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
Extended-stay Reservations (Eight or more consecutive nights)
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| Two or more calendar days prior to scheduled arrival date | 100 per cent (excluding reservation service fee) |
| One calendar day before scheduled arrival date | 75 per cent (excluding reservation service fee) |
| On scheduled arrival date and prior to 2:00 pm the day after scheduled arrival date | 50 per cent (excluding reservation service fee) |
| Failure to cancel prior to 2:00 pm the day after scheduled arrival date - No Show | No refund |
If vehicle entry fees are paid at time of reservation, these fees are 100 per cent refundable in all instances of advance cancellation. This refund is not available to No-Show reservations.
| Reservation Change | Associated Fee |
| Three or more calendar days prior to scheduled arrival date | Change fee of $8.00 applies. Campsite fees may be charged or refunded based on type of change requested. |
| Less than three calendar days prior to scheduled arrival date | No changes permitted. Reservation must be cancelled and a new reservation created if required. |
If vehicle entry fees are paid at time of reservation, these fees will be adjusted in all instances of advance notice of change.
Following are some extended stay refund scenario examples.
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Extended Stay Reservation: Scenario 1 A client reserves an extended stay campsite for the season and pays $10.50 for the reservation fee and $1,674 for the campsite. | |
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| Two or more calendar days prior to scheduled arrival date | $1,674 (100 per cent) |
| One calendar day prior to scheduled arrival date | $1,255.50 (75 per cent) |
| On scheduled arrival date and up to 2:00 p.m. the day after arrival | $837 (50 per cent) |
| Fail to cancel and no-show | no refund |
|
Extended Stay Reservation: Scenario 2 A client reserves an extended stay campsite for 30 nights and pays $10.50 for the reservation fee and $444 for the campsite. | |
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| Two or more days prior to scheduled arrival date | $444 (100 per cent) |
| One calendar day prior to scheduled arrival date | $333 (75 per cent) |
| On scheduled arrival date and up to 2:00 p.m. the day after arrival | $222 (50 per cent) |
| Fail to cancel and no-show | no refund |
|
Extended Stay Reservation: Scenario 3 A client reserves an extended stay campsite for eight nights and pays $10.50 for the reservation fee and $128.40 for the campsite. | |
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| Two or more days prior to scheduled arrival date | $128.40 (100 per cent) |
| One calendar day prior to scheduled arrival date | $96.30 (75 per cent) |
| On scheduled arrival date and up to 2:00 p.m. the day after arrival | $64.20 (50 per cent) |
| Fail to cancel and no-show | no refund |
Short-term Stay Reservations (Less than eight nights)
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| One or more calendar days prior to scheduled arrival date | 100 per cent (excluding reservation service fee) |
| On scheduled arrival date and prior to 2:00 p.m. the day after scheduled arrival date | Penalty of one night campsite fee, remainder refunded (excluding reservation service fee) |
| Failure to cancel prior to 2:00 p.m. the day after scheduled arrival date � No Show | No refund |
If vehicle entry fees are paid at time of reservation, these fees are 100 per cent refundable in all instances of advance cancellation. This refund does not apply to No-Show reservations.
| Reservation Change | Associated Fee |
| One or more calendar days prior to scheduled arrival date | Change fee of $8.00. Campsite fees may be charged or refunded based on type of change requested. |
| On scheduled arrival date |
|
If vehicle entry fees are paid at time of reservation, these fees will be adjusted in all instances of advance notice of change.
Following are some short-term stay reservation refund scenarios.
|
Short-term Stay Reservation: Scenario 1 A client reserves a short-term stay campsite for seven nights and pays $10.50 for the reservation fee and $110.40 for the campsite. | |
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| One or more days prior to scheduled arrival date | $110.40 (100 per cent) |
| On scheduled arrival date and prior to 2:00 p.m. the day after scheduled arrival | $92.40 (forfeit one night camping fee) |
| Fail to cancel and no-show | no refund |
|
Short-term Stay Reservation: Scenario 2 A client reserves a short-term stay campsite for a weekend and pays $10.50 for the reservation fee and $36 for the campsite. | |
| Cancellation | Applicable Refund (campsite fees only) |
| One or more days prior to scheduled arrival date | $36 (100 per cent) |
| On scheduled arrival date and prior to 2:00 p.m. the day after scheduled arrival | $18 (forfeit one night camping fee) |
| Fail to cancel and no-show | no refund |
Additional notes on cancellations and refunds:
Cancellation notices can be made by clients via telephone; toll-free 1-877-214-CAMP (2267) or online at www.nlcamping.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Opening and Closing Dates for Parks and Launch Dates for Campsite Reservation System
2015 Launch Dates for Campsite Reservation Service
| Reservation Service Launch Date | Provincial Park |
| Tuesday, April 21 | Western & Labrador Barachois Pond Blow Me Down J.T. Cheeseman Pinware River Pistolet Bay Sandbanks Sir Richard Squires Memorial |
| Wednesday, April 22 | Central and Eastern Dildo Run Frenchman�s Cove Lockston Path Notre Dame |
| Thursday, April 23 | Avalon Butter Pot La Manche |
2015 Opening and Closing Dates for Provincial Parks, Reserves and Natural Scenic Attractions
| Provincial Parks | ||
| Opening | Closing | Park |
| May 13 | September 14 | Barachois Pond Butter Pot Frenchman�s Cove J.T. Cheeseman La Manche Lockston Path Notre Dame |
| May 22 | September 7 | Sir Richard Squires Memorial |
| May 22 | September 14 | Sandbanks |
| May 29 | September 7 | Blow Me Down |
| May 29 | September 14 | Dildo Run Pinware River Pistolet Bay |
| Ecological Reserves | ||
| Opening | Closing | Reserve |
| May 9 | October 18 | Cape St. Mary�s Visitor Centre and Guided Tours Mistaken Point Guided Tours |
| Natural Scenic Attraction | ||
| Opening | Closing | Park |
| April 10 | October 19 | Chance Cove |
| May 15 | October 5 | Arches |
| June 5 | October 5 | Cataracts, Codroy Valley, Deadman�s Bay, Dungeon, Gooseberry Cove |
Note: Dates are subject to change depending on weather and snow conditions at the time of opening.
2015 04 10 9:30 a.m.